


Back from the Depths

by Starship21ZedNA9



Category: due South
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-27 01:22:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5028256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starship21ZedNA9/pseuds/Starship21ZedNA9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A slice of hurt/comfort interrupts Fraser, RayK, and RayV's domestic bliss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back from the Depths

The first thing Ray Vecchio was aware of was water. He was surrounded by it. He was under it. He was sinking into it. And it was cold. He couldn’t see his own hands in front of his face as he frantically tried to break the surface. He kicked as hard as he could but he kept sinking into blackness. He struggled to stay conscious. Somewhere above, he knew that his partners needed him. 

Through his fighting, he felt a strong hand grip his arm. Suddenly, he was being pulled up and up until finally sweet oxygen reached his lungs. He found himself anchored against a familiar body.

“Fraser,” he coughed.

“Ray, hold on.”

In a quick swoop, Fraser had him back on dry land. He lay on the dock, trying to catch his breath. Fraser was next to him in a second.

“I’m going back in.”

Ray shot him an incredulous look.

“Why?”

Before Fraser could answer, Ray realized that something or rather someone was missing from their party.

“Where’s Kowalski?”

“He didn’t resurface after the blast. That’s why I’m going back in. Stay here and catch your breath.”

Ray didn’t have time to respond before Fraser was underneath the waves again. Ray pulled himself up to a sitting position and stared down into the murky water. A wet wolf made his way over to him.

“Dief! Thank God, you okay buddy?”

Dief whined and licked at his face in response. Ray ran his hands through his rough fur. 

“I know. I know. Me too.”

The seconds ticked by at an agonizing pace. 

“Come on. Come on,” he begged.

“Please. Come back up. Come back up. Don’t do this, guys.”

Finally, a splash of red came into view. Fraser popped up, taking in a deep breath. In his arms was a lifeless Ray Kowalski. Fraser was desperately trying to keep Kowalski’s head above the water as he swam back over to Ray.

“Ray, he’s not breathing. Help me get him up.”

Ray didn’t need to be told twice. He reached down to grab the unconscious man by the hands and pulled with all his strength. 

Together, they got their partner on dry land. Fraser leaned over him, listening for a heartbeat. He shook his head.

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean, nothing,” Ray shrieked in response.

“Ray, please remain calm.”

Fraser was already tilting Kowalski’s head back. He breathed into him. Ray grabbed Kowalski’s frozen hand and began rubbing it between his own. Dief sniffed around the lifeless man. He howled in distress.

“All right, Stanley. Knock it off, now!”

Fraser pulled back to start chest compressions. Kowalski’s head lulled to the side.

Fraser’s face betrayed nothing but Ray could hear him muttering to himself under his breath. It sounded suspiciously like begging.

Kowalski’s hand was like ice and Ray kept rubbing. Occasionally, he brought the cold fingers to his lips.

Fraser kept up CPR for what seemed like hours and Ray knew he’d have to be physically torn away from his fallen partner to get him to stop.

As the minutes went on, Ray’s heart sank. Kowalski wasn’t responding. His body was cold and his skin turning blue. He bowed his head and tried to hold back tears. Fraser didn’t so much as glance at him. He was too focused on his task.

“Benny.”

Fraser didn’t respond.

“Benny, stop.”

“No.”

“He’s gone.”

“No,” Fraser kept pumping Kowalski’s chest.

“As long as I keep going, he’s not gone. He still has a chance if I can just keep his heart beating.”

“You just gonna do it forever?”

“If I have to. You’re distracting me.”

“Benny, just stop!”

“What would you have me do, Ray? Give up on him? Sit back and watch him die? That’s not happening. I refuse to let that happen. I will not allow him to die.”

Ray did cry now. Hot tears dripping down onto Kowalski’s pale face. He knew nothing he said would get Fraser to see reason. He could only watch as one man he loved tried in vain to save the other man he loved. How could this happen? One minute, they were responding to a report of suspicious behavior at the docks and the next the world seemed to explode around them. Just an hour ago, he and Kowalski were bickering in the car as Fraser listened with a contented smile on his face. 

Ray could hear sirens approaching. Soon, Fraser would be forcibly moved and they’d zip up Kowalski in a black body bag and take him away from them. And that would be that. Ray wanted so badly to hold him one last time but he wasn’t sure Fraser wouldn’t deck him good for trying to stop him.

A sharp gasp stopped his thoughts. His eyes snapped open and he looked down to see Kowalski trying to draw in breath.

Fraser quickly pushed Kowalski onto his side as he vomited up what looked like half of Lake Michigan.

“Oh, God. Oh, my God! Stanley?”

Kowalski didn’t respond. 

Fraser was rubbing his hands over Kowalski’s arm in an effort to warm him.

“He’s still unconscious, Ray. But, he is breathing,” he finally looked up with a brief smile.

“Yeah,” Ray sobbed.

Fraser pressed a kiss to Kowalski’s neck and whispered soothing words to him.

“You’re safe now, Ray. We have you. Just keep breathing.”

Dief licked Kowalski’s face. The blond didn’t even twitch. Ray placed a hand on his chest to feel the rise and fall. The sirens drew nearer.

“I’m gonna go get the paramedics, okay?”

“Yes, that seems wise,” Fraser replied.

His forehead was resting against Kowalski’s temple as he continued to gently run his hand up and down his arm. 

“You’ll be all right,” the Mountie whispered.

Ray spared his partners one last look before he went for the cavalry.

___

The paramedics got Kowalski loaded up on a stretcher quickly. Fraser followed right beside it as they moved toward the ambulance.

“He was down approximately 8 minutes. He’s breathing on his own but I’m concerned with how long he was without oxygen. Not to mention his core temperature is down.”

Ray grabbed Fraser by the shoulder and held him back as Kowalski was put into the ambulance.

“Benny, they got it.”

Fraser looked at him and nodded. His eyes were wide with fear.

“You should go with them, Ray. You need to be checked out as well. Dief and I will follow.”

Ray shook his head.

“I’m okay. Besides, you can barely drive at the best of times. The last thing any of us needs is you wrapping the car around a pole on the way to the hospital. You ride with him and I’ll follow with Dief.”

Fraser opened his mouth to argue but Ray cut him off.

“No arguments, Fraser. Just go.”

Fraser nodded and climbed into the back. Before the doors shut on Ray, he saw Fraser bow his head and run his hands through his hair.

“Come on Dief. Our boys need us.”

Dief barked in agreement and raced toward the car.

___

Ray met Fraser in the waiting room. His earlier, exhausted posture was gone. He was standing tall now. His face was blank as he gazed out the window. Dief loyally trotted toward him and sat by his side.

“How is he?”

Fraser turned.

“Ah, Ray. I didn’t hear you come in. I’m still waiting for news.”

Ray sighed and collapsed into one of the plastic seats.

“Benny, why don’t you have a seat?”

“I’d rather stand if it’s all the same to you.”

“Well, it’s not. I want you to sit with me.”

Fraser seemed to consider this for a moment. Ray looked at him expectantly. He patted the chair next to him. Fraser relented and sat next to his lover.

“Thank you,” whispered Ray.

Fraser swallowed thickly and nodded.

They sat in awkward silence for a while. Ray wanted to reach for Fraser’s hand but he didn’t know if it would be welcome. The three of them had always been careful about public displays of affection but if they couldn’t seek out comfort from each other at a time like this then when could they? The way Fraser was staring straight ahead and not acknowledging him at all left him unsure. He couldn’t handle Fraser’s rejection on top of everything else.

Fraser broke the silence at last.

“Are you quite sure you won’t get checked out by a doctor?”

“I’m quite sure, Benny. I’m fine.”

Fraser looked down at his hands.

“Well, if we always took your advice…”

Ray turned toward Fraser.

“Excuse me?”

Fraser met his gaze and sighed as if realizing what he said.

“Nothing. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, no. You don’t get to say something like that to me and then drop it. What the hell was that supposed to mean, Fraser?”

Fraser shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

“I just meant that…” he trailed off.

“You just meant that I gave up Kowalski for dead!”

“Ray, keep your voice down. This is a hospital.”

Fraser’s demeanor only served to fuel Ray’s rage.

“Don’t change the subject! You’re saying that if it were up to me, Kowalski would be dead right now!”

“Ray, I didn’t say that.”

“But, it’s what you meant. Fuck you, Benny.”

Ray stood up and began pacing the room.

“Where the hell is the doctor, already?”

“Have patience, Ray. I’m sure they’ll give us an update as soon as possible.”

Ray scoffed at his lover.

“Patience, sure. My partner nearly drowned tonight and my other partner is telling me that he’d have died if I had it my way.”

Fraser rose from his seat at that. But, he wasn’t angry. He looked deeply apologetic. He reached for Ray’s hand and rubbed his thumb over his knuckles.

“I’m sorry, Ray. I never meant to imply that Ray would be dead if you had it your way. I let my emotions get the better of me. I forgot myself. This is your pain as well as mine.”  
Ray leaned forward until their foreheads were resting together.

“Damn right. And don’t forget it again,” he replied trying to lighten the mood.

“I won’t,” Fraser said firmly.

“Family of Ray Kowalski?”

Both men turned abruptly to see a tired looking woman with a clipboard in her hand.

“That’s us. Is he all right,” Ray asked.

“He’s holding his own. He’s been breathing on his own. He’s still unconscious but we’re not concerned about that as of yet.”

“As of yet? When will you get concerned,” Ray snapped.

Fraser laid a gentle hand on his shoulder in silent admonishment.

“We’ll let him sleep through the night. His body’s been through a trauma. Let’s see if he decides to join us in the morning. You can go in and sit with him if you’d like.”  
“Oh, we’d like. We’d like very much,” said Ray as he stepped forward. He motioned for her to show them the way.

___

 

Fraser hesitated at Kowalski’s door. Ray stepped right up to the bed. 

“Jeez, Stanley. Look at you.”

Kowalski was pale but at least he wasn’t blue anymore. Ray pulled up a chair next to his partner and took his hand. He smiled as he noted that the man was much warmer than he was the last time he’d touched him.

Dief whined before hopping on the bed and curling himself up at Kowalski’s feet.

“Care to join us, Benny?”

Fraser blinked and pulled up another chair on the opposite side of Ray.

They sat in silence for a while. Fraser was rhythmically petting back Kowalski’s hair. 

A voice broke through the quiet.

“Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage to fine the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea,” Fraser softly sang.

“What’s that,” asked Ray.

“A song I taught Ray when we were on our quest. He grew quite fond of it. I remember we sang it to each other often on those nights alone in the tent.”

Fraser got a kind of far off, wistful look in his eyes.

Ray sighed.

“I wish I could have been there with you guys,” he whispered.

Fraser looked at him and used his free hand to capture Ray’s.

“So do I, Ray.”

Ray blushed.

“Well, then we’ll just have to go back. All three of us this time.”

“I would like that very much.”

Ray looked surprised.

“You would? Really?”

“Of course, Ray. What would I want more than to be with the people I love the most in the land where I grew up?”

Ray thought about it. It would be nice. He knew it was silly but he’d always been slightly jealous of Fraser and Kowalski’s time in Canada together. He felt it gave them something that he couldn’t share. Even though both of them never treated him as secondary. He’d like to have the chance to experience what they had.

“What’s he gonna say,” Ray gestured to the unconscious man.

“I’m sure he’d enjoy the chance to go back.”

“I’m sure he’d enjoy the chance to rub it in my face that he know how to survive up there better than I do.”

“Well, there is that.”

They both chuckled. 

“Ray, as long as we’re together, I know Ray will be glad to go.”

“Yeah, I know Benny.”

Fraser stared at Ray as if searching for something. Ray continued to look at Kowalski. Anguish was clear in his eyes. Still blaming himself. Because of Fraser’s own foolish words.  
“Ray, I truly didn’t mean what I said earlier.”

Ray rubbed his hands roughly over his face.

“I know you didn’t. But that doesn’t mean you weren’t right. I did. I gave up. I thought he was dead. I thought you were trying to save a corpse and I hated watching it. I hated looking at him like that.”

“Perhaps a sensible man would have listened to you. There was logic in your thinking,” Fraser tried to comfort him.

“If you had, we’d be planning a funeral right now.”

Fraser winced and looked back to Kowalski. He took a shaky breath before speaking.

“Yes, I suppose we would be.”

“Guess it’s a good thing you’re not a sensible man.”

Fraser grinned.

“Indeed, Ray. Perhaps you should go home. It’s been a trying day for you too. I’ll stay with him and you can come back in the morning.”

“No way Benny. No way.”

“Now, don’t be unreasonable.”

“Maybe I am being unreasonable but I just…I can’t. I don’t want to close my eyes until he opens his, okay? I can’t.”

Fraser nodded.

“All right, Ray. I must admit that I feel much the same.”

Fraser stood up.

“Well, since we’re in for a long night, would you like me to go and fetch us some coffee?”

“That’d be great, Benny.”

___

 

By the time Fraser returned with two hot cups in his hand, Ray was speaking softly to Kowalski.

“Anyway, I just want you to know that I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I don’t know how I could have given up. You fought to come back to us. The least I could do was fight to keep you. I love you so much. You know that, right? Of course you do. You and Benny are the best things that have ever happened to me. The idea of losing what we have to anything kills me. So, you just need to wake up and we can go home and then I can show you just how much you mean to me.”

Fraser knocked lightly on the door.

“I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Ray gestured him in.

“You are never an intrusion. Especially when you have coffee with you.”

Fraser handed him his cup.

“Surely you must know that Ray would never blame you for anything that happened today.”

“I do know that. I just had to get it out for myself, you know?”

“Understood.”

___

 

He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he remembered was fingers running through his hair. He opened his eyes to see Dief still asleep at the foot of the bed. He turned to the source of the fingers. Fraser sat up see Kowalski staring at him and smiling. He put a finger to his lips and nodded toward a sleeping Ray Vecchio.

“Ray, you’re awake.”

“Yeah. For a while now. You both looked so cute though, I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

“You should have. We’ve been waiting. They told us you were fine but you still needed to wake up. I’m so pleased to see you.”

Fraser leaned forward to capture Kowalski in a deep kiss.

“Likewise,” Kowalski whispered against his lips.

“How long have I been out?”

Fraser sat back down.

“Since yesterday. Do you remember what happened?”

Kowalski took a moment.

“Uh, the docks. Explosion.”

“Yes, you nearly drowned. Very nearly. Thankfully, we were able to bring you back.”

“I gathered as much,” Kowalski teased.

Fraser tried to smile as a sob caught in his throat.

“Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m okay. You’re okay. Vecchio’s okay. Furface is okay.”

He pulled Fraser back to him and kissed him once more. Fraser relaxed into his touch and hugged him tightly as they broke the kiss.

“Stanley?”

Kowalski and Fraser broke apart at the sound of Ray’s voice.

“Didn’t I tell you never to call me that?”

Ray was on him in an instant, planting kisses all over his face. 

“Damn, I should drown more often. I haven’t gotten this much attention in years.”

Neither Ray or Fraser laughed.

“Not funny, Kowalski.”

“Not in the least, Ray,” Fraser agreed.

Kowalski dropped his smile. He must have really scared the hell out of them.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

He opened both his arms and pulled them both to either side of them. He kissed them both on the temple as they laid their heads on his shoulders.

“See that you don’t,” said Fraser.

Kowalski smiled and let himself drift back to sleep.


End file.
